


Please Try Not To Love Me

by orphan_account



Category: Pitch Perfect (2012)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-27
Updated: 2013-05-19
Packaged: 2017-12-03 18:56:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/701539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a traumatic experience in her youth, Aubrey Posen is broken and closed off. Diagnosed with anxiety and depression, Aubrey struggles with starting a new life for herself in L.A. She recruits a room mate, Stacie Conrad,  who insists on getting through the walls around her heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic has been the hardest thing for me to write. I feel like I'm revealing a hidden piece of me to you guys, releasing this. I've poured personal experience into this to make it real. And it's worth it. Hope you guys enjoy.

12 years ago…

“I’ll be right back in a few hours, sweetheart. Morgan’s coming over to watch you while I’m away.” Mrs. Posen bent down to get on her eight year old’s level. “Okay?” She smiled softly, pressing a kiss to her daughter’s forehead.

“Okay. I love you.” Aubrey threw her arms around her shoulders, taking in one last sorrowful lungful of her mother’s perfume.

“And I love you, Aubrey.” Mrs. Posen brushed the tip of her nose against Aubrey’s. 

Aubrey felt tears tease the edges of her eyes. Every time her mother left, even just for a while, it was bitter. With her father in and out of the house and the local bar, her mom was all Aubrey had. And she didn’t have any intentions of changing that. So every time Aubrey’s mother set off to leave, the same thing would happen.

“Momma, don’t leave.” Aubrey tugged at the hem of her mother’s dress shirt.

“Angel, I have to.” Mrs. Posen hugged her daughter to her legs, brushing away the straggling tears with her thumb. Aubrey exhaled shakily, clutching to her mom for dear life.

“You’ll love Morgan. She’s very sweet. She’s only ten years older than you.” Kathy cooed, combing through Aubrey’s long blonde hair with gentle fingers.

“When is she gonna get here?” Aubrey looked up with glassy pale, green eyes.

Then the doorbell rang. A lonely sound, ringing through the Posen house. 

“That must be her.” Kathy Posen chirped, jogging down the stairs. Aubrey peered down the steps, hiding behind a curtain of blonde hair. Chatty cordial introductions reverberated through the huge, empty house.

“Aubrey’s right upstairs, she’s a little shy, and has bit of an attachment problem, so she might cry about me for a little bit.” Mrs. Posen hushed her voice. Aubrey craned her neck to hear, frowning when she caught the tail-end of her mother’s statement. 

“She’ll love me. They all do.” Morgan smiled tensely.

“I’m sure she will.” Mrs. Posen returned the smile. “You have my number if there’s any trouble, don’t hesitate to call.” 

“Sure thing, Kathy.” Morgan greeted, shutting the door behind her. She plowed up the stairs, taking a seat on the top step right next to Aubrey.

“Hi Aubrey!” Morgan grinned, watching the child with careful eyes. 

“Hello.” Aubrey murmured, grabbing fistfuls of her ill-fitting sundress.

“I’m Morgan.” 

“I know.”

“You’re pretty smart, Aubrey.” 

“I know.” Aubrey grinned, loosing her grip. Morgan laughed lightly, setting her hand on top of Aubrey’s. 

“How about you show me your room?” Morgan looked into Aubrey’s eyes curiously. 

“Okay.” Aubrey nodded, gripping the older woman’s hand tentatively, leading her down the hall, to the last room on the left. She flipped on the lights and moved over in the door way to make way for Morgan.

“Oh wow. What a pretty room. You’re a very lucky girl.” Morgan looked around, lamely pretending to be interested.

“Thank you.” Aubrey beamed at her pink walls, canopy bed, and her butterfly decals. The only good thing that was gifted to her by her father was her room renovation. The room went from plain white into a Disney princess’s dream within hours, and Aubrey prized it.

Morgan made her way over to Aubrey’s bed, taking a seat on the edge. Aubrey trailed after her babysitter, following suit.

“Do you wanna play a game?” asked Morgan, shattering the silence.

“Um, okay.” Aubrey said, adverting her eyes away from Morgan’s eager brown ones.

“Alright, now close your eyes.” Morgan bit down on her lip. Aubrey furrowed her brow, following the order. She fluttered her eyes shut hesitantly, returning her hands to squeeze sweaty fistfuls of her dress. "Good, now, take off your dress." Morgan's tone grew more forceful. Aubrey's bottom lip quivered in fear, but still, she obeyed. She pushed the gangly straps of her baggy dress off of her shoulders. Morgan's hand clamped down over Aubrey's mouth roughly. The young girl's eyes shot open in panic. She kicked against Morgan's arm and screamed through her fingers. 

"No one's gonna hear you, it's best not to struggle." Morgan pressed her lips to Aubrey's ear. Aubrey shivered, relaxing sorrowfully in her babysitter's arms. Morgan's cold palm snaked itself down Aubrey's small frame. She winced in pain when Morgan's grip tightened. Hot tears stung Aubrey's eyes, pouring down her face and clustering against Morgan's hand. Morgan dug her nails into Aubrey's cheek, hissing something awful in her ear. Gasping through Morgan's fingers, Aubrey felt her body go numb. A singular feeling.

Then everything went black.

-

Present Day

Aubrey pushed a blonde lock of hair away from her eyes and returned to her cardboard box. She unpacked a stack of dishes into her new kitchen. Well, not completely hers, she was sharing her grad school apartment with her mysterious room mate who was still M.I.A. Her shaky hands lost their grip on its ceramic plate, sending it crashing into the tile. 

"God damn it!" Aubrey exclaimed. A river of blood dripped of her thumb onto the rubble. She shrieked, sucking on the wound. She scampered down the hall to the bathroom and threw open the cupboard with her unscathed hand. 

"Oh, well that's just fantastic." Aubrey stared at the mocking sink pipes. She had yet to unpack her bathroom belongings. She sighed, plopping down cross legged on the floor. She slid her phone out of her pocket with her left hand, pressing her lips to the cut on her hand once more. She fumbled to unlock her phone with one hand, pupils large with concentration.

"You look so cute when you're focused." Chloe teased, leaning lazily on the white, withered door frame. Aubrey squealed, dropped her phone on the ground, and shot Chloe an accusatory glare.

"Damn it, Chloe!" She scrambled to pick up her phone. She skimmed her touch screen with her thumb, inspecting for any signs of damage. When she decided it had indeed survived, she returned it to her pocket. "How the hell did you get in here anyways?" Aubrey struggled to stand up, supporting her weight on the counter.

"First of all, you gave me a key," Chloe raised a brow at the blonde's unusual forgetfulness. "Second, you left your door open," She counted off on her fingers, "And third, your door man likes redheads." She chirped, a flirty blush tinting her cheeks. Aubrey rolled her eyes, examining her thumb with narrowed eyes. The blood flow wasn't as heavy now, but it was still pretty bad. Chloe furrowed her brow at the glint of red.

"What happened?" Chloe extended her hand.

"Why should I let you look at it?" Aubrey said, mocking a child's voice, clutching her hand to her chest. She pouted her lips and gave Chloe her signature glassy-eyed-puppy-dog greens. 

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Because I'm a doctor, now gimme." she reached out, glaring at her best friend.

"You're no more a doctor than I'm a lawyer." Aubrey said pointedly. Chloe was in medical school in San Francisco, but she was still in town to visit old friends and help Aubrey unpack. Aubrey and Chloe were best friends in high school and college. They were closer than sisters, they knew everything about each other. Chloe even knew about Aubrey's past and home life. Something Aubrey would never dare telling anyone else. 

"Damn it, Aubrey. It might get infected!" Chloe's voice cracked with agitation. Aubrey giggled at this, relinquishing her hand to her red-faced friend. Chloe studied the cut, prodding it with gentle fingers. She looked up into Aubrey's pained eyes. 

"What happened?" 

Aubrey flicked her eyes down the hall at the mess on the floor in the kitchen. Chloe followed her eyes with pursued lips. She sighed heavily, shaking her head.

"Are you really that nervous?" Chloe was getting more worried. Aubrey's anxiety was always pretty bad, but lately it's only been getting worse. Signing up for law school, moving into a new apartment, and discovering a brand new city was taking a toll on Aubrey.

"Yeah, Chloe." Aubrey said, voice growing small. "I don't have friends. No one but you, you know that. Especially girls." Green eyes stuck on the floor. Chloe grimaced, ducking her head to look into Aubrey's panicked eyes. 

"Bree baby, it's going to be okay. I'm sure she's great. I'm sure she'll love you." Chloe rubbed Aubrey's arm comfortingly. Stars clouded Aubrey's vision and the hot knife of anxiety was held against her throat. The same hot tears stung her eyes, brain searching frantically for an anchor. Aubrey slumped back down on the floor, eyes squeezed shut. 

"You need to go to the hospital, asap." Chloe's voice grew serious. 

"Nooooo...." Aubrey moaned, tossing her head back. "I'm fine. Just fine." The color flushed out of Aubrey's cheeks.

"Yeah, no." Chloe said, lifting Aubrey up with her shoulder. Chloe half walked, half carried Aubrey out of the apartment. She sighed at the sight of the flight of stairs, glancing over at Aubrey in her childlike state. 

"How are you feeling, Aubrey?" Chloe said in a baby voice, nudging the woman gently.

"Mmm." Aubrey squeezed her eyes shut. 

"Shit, shit, shit." Chloe breathed out, eyeing the stairs. 

"Whoa, is she okay?!" A voice shouted out from down the stairs. A tall, brunette woman with vibrant green eyes jogged up the stairs.

"Um, no. She sliced her thumb open on a broken plate." Chloe fumbled for words, adjusting the woman on her shoulder.

"Well, here, let me help." Stacie took Aubrey's other shoulder. The pair assisted the pale-faced blonde down the stairs and into Chloe's red prius. Chloe laid Aubrey down in the back seat, making sure she was comfortable. 

"Thank you so much." Chloe exhaled, pushing her flaming red hair off of her face.

"No problem, I'm Stacie, by the way. Hope she's okay." Stacie extended her hand and peered in the window. "Wow..." She murmured under her breath.

"I'm Chloe, that's Aubrey." Chloe shook her hand with a smile. She pretended not to hear Stacie swoon over her best friend, but she definitely took note of it. "Better get going." Chloe said, opening the driver's seat. She paused for a second, watching Stacie watch Aubrey. "Can you come?" Chloe asked, curiously.

"Uh yeah, sure. I was just about to meet my new room mate when I saw you guys." Stacie swallowed, gesturing to the apartment building.

"Well let's go." Chloe grinned, realizing who the mystery woman was.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the shortness, this is kind of a filler chapter. We'll get to the good (angst) stuff soon, I promise.

"So, Stacie, what brings you to Los Angeles?" Chloe pulled her steering wheel right. 

"Law School, actually." Stacie smirked to herself pridefully. "I actually think my new room mate is in law school." 

Chloe snickered to herself. "Okay, Aubrey is your new roommate." She grinned at the expression on the brunette's face.

"Oh, really?" She peeked over her shoulder with a faint smile. The smile faded when she saw how pale the blonde was. "Chloe, is she even conscious?" 

Chloe glanced over her shoulder at her blonde best friend. Aubrey laid splayed out on the backseat, hands clutched to her chest, cheeks pale, and lips parted. 

"I don't think so." She grimaced, picking up her speed. She turned into the hospital lot, rushing to get Aubrey into the emergency room. Stacie assisted her, lifting the blonde's limp body against her shoulder once more. The pair supported the blonde through the entrance, setting her down in the waiting room before dashing to the receptionist's desk.

"Can you stay with Aubrey?" Chloe said frantically, eyes shifting to her best friend once more. Aubrey was getting worse. 

"Oh, uh, yeah." Stacie fumbled, sitting down into the seat next to Aubrey. She brushed a blonde lock of hair back to its place gently, careful not to wake her up. She rubbed her thumb against the blonde's palm peacefully, avoiding the wound. 

She checked Aubrey's pulse in attempt to not look creepy. She quietly wondered what color the girl's eyes were, what her laugh sounded like, her quirks, what she sung in the shower, little things like that. She shook her head, so silly of her to think these things about a stranger. She hummed to herself, lost in the girl's features before Chloe plopped down next to her with an exasperated sigh.

"Status report?" Stacie said, trying to conceal her smirk. Chloe's aggravated expression contrasted her dimpled cheeks and bright blue eyes, making her look completely ridiculous. Stacie bit down on her lip as Chloe buzzed her lips angrily. 

"Well, the receptionist is a bitch. Apparently Aubrey's not a priority even though she's unconscious!" Chloe yelled the last bit, making sure the front lady would hear her.   
"If this was San Francisco, I'd have some leeway." She huffed, pushing a mass of ginger hair away from her face.

"Why would you have some leeway?" Stacie implored.

"I'm a med student up in San Fran." Chloe beamed for a beat, darkening when her eyes returned to Aubrey. "I couldn't do anything you help her, you know? It all happened so fast." Chloe's breath hitched.

"Hey, this wasn't your fault." Stacie squeezed Chloe's knee.

"Yeah, but if I'd been there earlier she wouldn't of had a panic attack." Chloe bit away the tears, gazing down at Aubrey's face mournfully.

"Panic attack?" 

"Yeah, she gets them real bad." Chloe dabbed away her tears with the tips of her fingers. 

"Oh," Stacie said lamely, "Well, it still isn't your fault, okay? She's going to be okay." She smiled weakly, taking Chloe's hand in her own. She gave her a encouraging squeeze, making Chloe's eyes sparkle with hope. Stacie squirmed her fingers to alleviate the awkwardness, to no avail. Chloe grinned, her vice making Stacie's palms clammy and her knuckles white. Stacie smiled uncomfortably at her hand-holding partner before Chloe jumped up out of her seat at the sound of the nurse calling for Aubrey Posen. 

Chloe and Stacie embarked through the halls of the various doorways before turning left into the last office. The trio was greeted by an angular blonde male doctor. He winked at Stacie, granting him a thoroughly unamused eye roll. He pouted at being shot down, scribbling something on his clipboard. He brushed it off and began.

"So, what happened?" He picked up Aubrey's hand cautiously, examining the gash.

"She was putting away dishes and she dropped a plate and it sliced the side of her hand, I think." Chloe squeezed her eyes closed, trying to recall. She clawed her knees to steady her hands. Stacie frowned at the redhead's trembling lips and grabbed her hands cautiously. 

"Well, I'm thinking stitches right now..." He mumbled, prodding the wound gently with gloved fingers. 

"If you ladies will please wait out in the waiting room, the surgery shouldn't take long. She'll be good as new in no time." He smoothed his scrubs, flashing a dazzling smile towards the ladies as they shuffled out. Chloe rejoined their hands, nervously gnawing on the inside of her cheek.

"She'll be fine, Chloe. You should know more than any one. It's just stitches." Stacie said comfortingly. 

"Right." She sighed, clenching the woman's hand. She looked into her eyes, a faint smile curling the edges of her lips. 

"Right." Stacie smiled back tensely.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a traumatic experience in her youth, Aubrey Posen is broken and closed off. Diagnosed with anxiety and depression, Aubrey struggles with starting a new life for herself in L.A. She recruits a room mate, Stacie Conrad, who insists on getting through the walls around her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, right?

12 years ago...

Aubrey woke to the sound of the door slamming shut. She sat up, looking around lazily for any sign of her babysitter. She pulled the worn strap of her sundress back over her shoulder desperately. She winced at the sharp pain brooding against her forehead and her abdomen. The strap slumped off her shoulder once more, corrected by a fast push back to its place on her bony shoulder. She stood her feet, eyes clouding with stars as she troubled her way down the stairs. 

"Aubrey, dear?" Her mother called out from the couch, adjacent to Morgan. Morgan flashed a sickeningly sweet smile at Aubrey as the girl rounded the corner. She stirred her coffee with her finger, shifting her eyes towards Mrs. Posen casually. The little girl worried her bottom lip, keeping a hand on her limp shoulder strap as she uneasily stepped down the stairs. She sprinted into Mrs. Posen's arms, wrapping them around her for protection. Mrs. Posen made a sound of pain, followed by a breathy laugh. 

"You're getting a too big to be sitting on my lap, little one." She ruffled Aubrey's soft blonde tresses playfully. Aubrey didn't budge. She stared prudently at Morgan as the older girl sipped at her coffee. The trio remained silent for a beat, making the air tense and awkward. Mrs. Posen cleared her throat, nudging at Aubrey. Aubrey looked up at her mom curiously. Mrs. Posen prodded her with her elbow, gesturing towards Morgan with encouraging eyes. 

"Tell her thank you." She whispered under her breath with a motherly smile. Aubrey swallowed harshly, breath shaking as she sat up to speak.

"Thanks, Morgan." She said quickly, shrinking back into her mother's arms.

"No, thank you, Miss Aubrey." She grinned, pulling Aubrey back to envelope her in a tenacious hug. Mrs. Posen aw'ed, clutching her hand to her heart with a pouted lip. 

"How sweet." 

When Morgan loosened her grip, Aubrey yanked herself back out of her arms. She lept out of her mother's lap and scurried up the stairs. 

"How curious..." Morgan said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, she's always been shy." Mrs. Posen's eyes lingered curiously on the stairs. "Did she behave well for you?" Mrs. Posen implored. 

"Oh, yes. She's a good little girl." Morgan nodded. She flipped open her phone and glanced at the time. "Well, I'm gonna get going. Call me next time you need a babysitter." She stood up, shooting a dazzling smiling at Mrs. Posen before she flounced off. Aubrey peeped around the corner, returning to the living room tentatively. 

"She gone?" 

"Yeah... What's your deal, little Aubrey?" 

Aubrey stood, clenching the hem of her dress, pursing her lips, and staring blankly at her mother. Mrs. Posen nodded her head for an answer, only making Aubrey shy away more. She shuffled away to the kitchen and grabbed a juice box out of the fridge. 

"Are you going to talk to me?" Mrs. Posen chided. Aubrey shook her head and ran back up the stairs. She slammed the door closed behind her, sliding against the door to sit on the carpeted floor. She fumbled to jab a hole in the juice box with her straw, eyes spilling over with tears. She pushed a flat hand against her aching stomach, and began to cry.

-

Present Day

Aubrey woke up, pushing herself up with her palms. She winced, pulling her hand to her chest. She examined the stitches with wounded eyes, tracing the blue and black stitching with a gentle touch. A knock came at the door.

"Come in..." Aubrey called out, suddenly feeling weak again. 

"Ah, you're awake." The nurse said genially.

"Unfortunately." She said shakily, eyes narrowed on her hand. "Hey, how long is this gonna hurt?" She called out, louder than she intended.

The nurse laughed, ducking her head out of the door to call out to Chloe. 

"I'll leave you alone to talk to your friends. The Doctor will be back later to give your stitches one more look." The nurse said curtly, opting to leave before the girls rushed in. 

"Friends?" Aubrey murmured. She leaned forward to peer out of the open door. Chloe darted into the room, throwing her arms around Aubrey's shoulders. Stacie trailed after her, playing with her hands in attempt to assuage her awkwardness.

"Thank God, you're alright! You scared me half to death!" Chloe squealed.

"Jesus Christ, Chlo-" Aubrey huffed, drawing back at the sight of the stranger. 

Stacie's eyes lit up at the sight of the girl. She was even more beautiful than when she was unconscious. A pink flush colored her cheeks, her green eyes lively and bright, her blonde locks curling around her swell of her jaw. Warmth spread across Stacie's chest, making her palms clammy with sweat. 

"Chloe, who is that?" Aubrey stuttered, batting her eyes furiously. She stared at the ground, peering up at the tall, dark haired girl every few seconds. She tucked her hair behind her ear, gritting her teeth at the dull ache that worried she side of her hand.

"This is your new roomie, Stacie." Chloe chirped, locking her fingers with Stacie's. Stacie tried to wrench her hand away, to no avail with Chloe's cheery grip. She relaxed into the redhead's grasp, smiling weakly. 

"How'd you get here?" Aubrey mumbled, staring curiously at the girls' hands. 

"Um," Stacie started. "Well, when you passed out Chloe was trying to get you down the stairs, it looked like she needed some help." 

Aubrey nodded slowly, jerking her eyes back to the floor every time Stacie looked at her. 

"We hit it off, and I found out she was your roomie on the drive here!" Chloe beamed. Stacie furrowed her brow at the sentiment, opting to keep quiet for now. Chloe was probably still in shock from Aubrey's "accident". 

"Well, thanks for coming." Aubrey said slowly, laying back down on the doctor's chair. Stacie's heart fluttered.

"No problem." She said with a small smile. Chloe grinned up at her, squeezing her hand gently. Stacie pulled her hand away slowly, rubbing it against the swell of her hip. 

"Aubrey!" The doctor strutted in, sparkling blue eyes tailored to Stacie's frame as he spoke. Stacie groaned, dragging Chloe to retire to the office chairs as they waited. Aubrey waved goodbye as the doctor shut the door behind the two girls. Chloe pouted, her expression reminiscent of a child's with her wide, vibrant blue eyes. 

"It's okay, it's just for a second." Stacie comforted her awkwardly, patting her knee. "Hey, if you'll drive us, we'll go out to lunch and I'll pay. Just to mull all this over."

Chloe looked up with the beginnings of a big smile teasing the corner of her lips. 

"That's great. I'm sure Aubrey will enjoy that." Chloe nodded, pausing before she said Aubrey. Stacie laughed uncomfortably. 

"I'm gonna go freshen up, do you mind waiting for Aubrey?" Chloe jumped up. Stacie shook her head in reply. Chloe smiled and flounced off to the restroom. Stacie sighed and slouched down in the waiting from chair, pleased to finally have a minute alone without being smothered by Chloe's saccharine, flirtatious personality.

Aubrey weaseled through the cracked door, meandering around the waiting room, looking for any sign of her best friend. Stacie stood up, signaling her over. Aubrey walked over slowly, clutching her hand like her life. She glanced up into Stacie's eyes, green like hers, just a shade darker. Stacie's eyes were dark and warm, making Aubrey's heart beat quicker than before. She scolded herself, stumbling to soothe the tension with some dialogue. 

"Gosh, I'm starving. It feels like ages since I've eaten." Aubrey chuckled languidly. She rubbed circles on her arm with her thumb. 

"Don't worry about it. I'm taking you and Chloe to lunch." Stacie said brightly, watching Aubrey in amusement.

"Great." Aubrey replied shyly. 

"My treat." Stacie nodded. The pair headed out to the lobby as they waited for Chloe. Aubrey still tripped over her anxiety around her gorgeous new room mate, Stacie still glowing at her like a love sick puppy. Chloe busted out into the lobby, looping her arms into Aubrey's and Stacie's respectively. 

"Ready to go?" Stacie smirked, guiding them out of the hospital. 

-

The trio finally sat down at a diner near Aubrey and Stacie's apartment. Every one was quiet and slightly frazzled from the trip to the emergency room. They were all starved from either nerves or stress. Chloe slid into a booth, patting the seat next to her for Stacie. Stacie pretended to ignore the gesture, opting for the opposite seat. Aubrey took the seat next to Chloe. Chloe's heart sank, looking at Stacie like she had wounded her. Stacie cleared her throat, struggling to keep her eyes on the menu. She looked up and met Chloe's dazzling blue stare. She smiled uneasily, restoring Chloe's jubilance. Aubrey watched the exchange quietly, eyes lingering on Stacie. Chloe picked up a menu with one hand, brushing her knuckles against Stacie's knee with the other. 

"So, um, what are you going to school for Stacie?" Aubrey asked quietly, watching the raging blush that colored the taller girl's face. Stacie pushed Chloe's wandering hand away gently. 

"Law, actually." Stacie said proudly. 

"Me too." Aubrey grinned. Stacie mirrored the gesture, making Aubrey turn her eyes to the tiled floor. Jealousy burned the pit of Chloe's stomach. Thankfully, the waitress came around to break the air.

They all ordered their drinks, stumbling awkwardly through some small talk as they waited for their food. Stacie's phone blared her ringtone, a picture of Beca flashing on her screen. 

"Excuse me." She waved away at the girls as she scooted out of the booth. She wandered out to the patio as she answered the phone. 

"You couldn't of picked a better time to call me." 

"Score one for Mitchell. How was the move?" 

"Didn't happen." 

"What? Why?" 

"My new room mate, Aubrey hurt her hand. I ran into her best friend, Chloe, trying to get her to the car. We ended up taking a field trip to the hospital." 

"Why do you sound so limp? You're usually pumped about being surrounded by chicks." Stacie could hear the smirk in Beca's voice. 

"Chloe..." Stacie dragged out the girl's name. "Is suffocating me." She finished her sentence. "She's flirting with me so hard you could see it from space." 

"And why is this an issue?" Beca drew out the why lamely. 

"Because Aubrey's like, the most beautiful human being I've ever seen." Stacie sighed. 

"Oh, I see what's going on." 

"You gotta help me."

"I don't know, this Aubrey chick sounds pretty hot." 

"I hate you so much." Stacie chuckled.

\- 

"What's wrong with you?" Chloe asked Aubrey. Aubrey picked away at her food, glancing around for the return of the dark haired girl. 

"Nothing." Aubrey said flatly. 

"Uh huh, whatever Posen." 

Aubrey rolled her eyes, squirming to face her best friend. 

"You're such a ditz when you flirt, it's disgusting." Aubrey said pointedly. 

"I am not!" 

"Oh please," Aubrey raised a brow in amusement. Chloe's face was bright red with embarrassment. 

"Why do you care anyways?" Chloe hissed, fanning her flustered face. Aubrey stayed silent. Why did she care? Stacie probably liked Chloe too. Aubrey wasn't worth her time, being the way she was. Aubrey shifted in her seat, bottom lip trembling. She picked up her fork weakly. Stacie returned, taking a seat on the red vinyl bench. Aubrey struggled not to stare. 

"Sorry about that." Stacie settled in.

"Who was it?" Chloe asked curiously. 

"My friend, Beca. She's cool. She deejays at this club in town." Stacie answered proudly. Beca was her best friend, even though she was a complete ass sometimes. 

"Oh, cool." 

Stacie perked up at Chloe's interest in her friend. Maybe this would work, after all. The trio ate in silence for a few minutes. 

"So, Stacie, do you have a boyfriend?" Chloe asked mischievously. 

"Oh no, I'm gay." She shook her head, taking a sip of her drink. Aubrey choked on her food, slipping to play it off casually. Chloe grinned to herself, stabbing her salad. 

"Same here. Aubrey too." She flicked her eyes to the blonde for a beat. 

"Oh, really?" Stacie smiled, wiping her mouth with a napkin. 

Aubrey's eyes lit up at Stacie's reaction. She folded her hands in her lap, staring up at Stacie through her lashes.


End file.
